Town puts funding for recreation center information on hold

Nov. 29, 2012

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The Windsor Town Board kicked the can down the road a little farther, choosing to not make a decision about whether to spend $30,000 to create models, flyers and a public awareness campaign concerning a proposed addition to the Windsor Community Recreation Center.

“Yes it’s a lot of money, but that’s what’s been recommended,” said Town Board member Ivan Adams in urging his fellow board members to add the funding to the 2013 budget during the board’s regular meeting Monday.

Town Manager Kelly Arnold told the board it had the option to wait, talk about the funding more in January and make a decision then.

“This won’t be in the budget, but you can choose to spend it next year if you want to,” he said.

The idea to add onto the CRC began with a study conducted by YMCA in March 2011, which showed a strong desire among Windsor residents for an indoor pool, with 78 percent of respondents rating it very important. More than 60 percent also supported weight training space and cardio space.

At that point, the town board hired consultants to create a feasibility study, which proposed a natatorium and fitness center combination.

The major features of the natatorium include a three-lane lap pool, a leisure recreation pool with a zero-depth beach area, a separate water slide that loops outside the building and includes a deceleration lane. There’s also a planned multipurpose program area and activity pool with a water play area and a lazy river feature.

An auxiliary gym and aerobics room, as well as a party room, child care area, dance studio space, fitness and weight rooms and a walking/jogging track also are included in the proposed expansion.

The town created an ad-hoc committee to examine the feasibility of funding a natatorium and fitness and wellness center addition to the CRC, projected to cost around $14 million.

One of the recommendations that committee came back with in October was that the town set aside $30,000 to create conceptual plans and models to use in the public education component of a campaign, with the goal of placing this question before voters on the April 2014 municipal ballot.

“My fear is that in allocating these dollars, it will indicate that we’re behind the project,” said Mayor Pro-Tem Kristie Melendez.

Adams said he felt the board couldn’t ignore the committee’s work.

“We asked them to do this work for us,” he said.

Mayor John Vazquez said the timing is what will become an issue.

“When I was on the school board, the district had to go out and create the renderings and so on for the bond issue (to build Severance Middle School and Range View Elementary School) before they could make a decision,” he said. “It’s important that if this board wants good information about where this community is on this, then we should invest some money.”

Melendez said she believed there are residents who want this to happen, and they are the ones who should come up with the initiative to make it happen.

“Not one person at the last coffee with the mayor advocated for it,” she said.